Family is Everything
by RogueStorm84
Summary: Written for the Future Fic Challenge on the CCOAC forum. Emily is celebrating her 52nd birthday with both of her families and realizes that family is everything. Hence the title.


**Written for the Future Challenge on the CCOAC forum**

**Summary: Emily celebrates her 52nd birthday with both of her families and realizes that family is everything.**

**Warnings: Language**

**Beta: Dragon Claymore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own and that's that.**

**CWC: 2,634**

**A/N: Thanks to Dragon Claymore and nebula2 for helping me get a head start on this.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Tarek picked up his sleeping daughter and his suitcase and started to head out the door.

"Tarek, get back here, we're having a conversation," his wife Rona called out.

Tarek shook his head, "Rona, I told you last week that I was taking Becky to my parent's. Tomorrow is my mother's birthday and I do this every year."

"I never spend time with my daughter and now you wanna take her all the way to Virginia? That's not acceptable."

Tarek sighed and shook his head, "You're never around to spend time with your daughter. That's what's not acceptable. Now I'm going so I can beat the morning traffic."

"You're taking a five year old on an eight hour trip? Alone?"

"Yes. I did it every year since she was born."

"When will you be back?"

"Probably Friday."

Tarek kissed his wife on the cheek and walked out the door. He settled his daughter in her booster seat and put the suitcase on the floor next to her before climbing behind the wheel. He planned to make a couple stops first and pick up a couple of gifts for his mother.

**{~CM~}**

Emily awoke around 9:00 and found Derek in the living room doing his morning pushups.

"Derek, what are you doing? You do realize that Tarek is coming today."

"Yes, baby, I'm aware," Derek panted.

"Good, we need to get this house cleaned up for his visit. I know he's bringing Becky with him I just hope he doesn't bring his wife."

Derek chuckled and sat up, "Em, first of all, Tarek won't be here until the afternoon and second of all there's nothing wrong with Rona."

Emily shook her head, "Do you remember last year when she came? The day was a disaster."

Derek chuckled, "It wasn't that bad."

"She complained the whole day. About everything. 'I don't like coconut, this house is dirty.' I really don't want to hear her voice. Sometimes I wonder why Tarek married her," Emily said getting the vacuum out of the closet.

Derek stood up shaking his head, "Emily, it's nine in the morning. I don't think the neighbors will appreciate you waking them up due to the vacuum. Why don't you start with something a little less noisy, although I don't understand why you're going through all this trouble in the first place?"

"Derek, our son is coming all the way from Boston with his daughter; the least we can do is welcome them with a clean home. Now can you please go clean the bathrooms?"

Derek grumbled, "Guess I might as well shower first."

**{~CM~}**

"Papa, we goes to grandma and grandpa's today?" Rebecca asked her father.

"Yes, precious, we're gonna spend the night with grandma and grandpa. Do you know why?" Tarek asked looking at his daughter from the rearview mirror.

"It's grandma's biwfday," Rebecca said happily.

Tarek chuckled, "That's right. Tomorrow is grandma's birthday."

"We same la't year, papa?"

"That's right, we did the same thing last year, only mama was with us."

"Why mama not coming?"

Tarek shrugged, "Mama has a lot of work to do."

Tarek sighed as he merged with the traffic to get onto I-90. He knew that it was going to be a long drive even with frequent stops and he made sure he had plenty of things that would entertain his daughter. He put on Raffi for her and the two of them started to sing along.

"Papa, I likes Raffi."

Tarek chuckled, "I know sweetie."

Rebecca swung her feet as she sang along trying to sing every word. Tarek chuckled as he sang too just as his phone rang. He picked it up out of the cup holder thinking it was his wife.

"Hello?"

"_Hi, baby."_

"Hey, mama. What's up?"

"_Nothing much, just watching your father burn breakfast. You and Becky still coming down?"_

Tarek laughed, "Mama, you know that Daddy can cook. He can cook better than you can, sorry. And yes, Becky and I are on our way. We should be there sometime around three okay?"

"_Okay, sweetie. Can't wait to see you guys. Is Rona coming?"_

"No. She's busy this week. Training new employees and things like that. She said to send you her love."

"_Alright, baby, I'll let you get back to driving. I'll see you later."_

Tarek sighed as he hung up the phone.

**{~CM~}**

"Yes!" Emily cried as she sat down to breakfast.

Derek chuckled, "What's got you all excited? Wait, let me guess. You excited about me getting my abs back," he teased.

"You always had great abs. I don't understand how you still look like you did when you were thirty-nine and I look like a fat pig."

Derek chuckled and kissed his wife as he set her plate in front of her, "You don't look like a pig, Em, you look beautiful as ever. There's just no more unsubs that we have to worry about chasing so you gained a little weight, but that's okay."

Emily smiled, "Oh my goodness, yes. I mean don't get me wrong, I loved working at the BAU and we had some great experiences there, but we also had some bad ones. Remember the Spicers?"

Derek nodded as he dug into his breakfast, "Yeah, I remember," he sighed, "That wasn't as bad as when you and Spencer were held hostage by Cyrus and you got beaten. I swear I'll never forget that day."

Emily smiled, "Neither will I, that's the day you confessed your undying love for me."

Derek chuckled, "Yeah."

**{~CM~}**

By 12:00, Tarek decided to take a break for lunch as they entered Delaware. He looked for a McDonald's close to the interstate and took Rebecca inside. He had her use the bathroom. That was a bit awkward. He felt weird bringing a little girl into the men's bathroom but he surely wasn't about to go into the women's bathroom. After they both used the bathroom, they went in line where he bought a happy meal for her and a fish sandwich for himself.

"Papa, can I watch Aladdin?"

"Yes, sweetheart, when we get back in the car, I'll put it on for you."

Rebecca clapped, "Thank you."

Tarek nodded, "You're welcome, now eat, honey."

Rebecca started eating her fries, "Papa, is grandpa gonna make chicken fried, like la't time?"

Tarek chuckled at the way his daughter said fried chicken and shrugged, "I don't know sweetie."

"I wanna give grandma my present."

"You will, honey, but not until tomorrow."

"Okay."

**{~CM~}**

Derek sat on the couch watching the Bears game and drinking a beer. Emily was fussing over the house again as if she hadn't been fussing over it all day. Derek sighed.

"Woman, will you sit down and relax?"

"Derek, Tarek is going to be here in a couple of hours. I want this place spotless."

Derek stood up and pulled his wife onto the couch, "And it is. You've cleaned at least three times today, baby relax, okay?"

Emily smiled, "Okay."

Derek chuckled and kissed her lips. Emily moaned a little and deepened the kiss. Derek knew just how to kiss her to make her quiver with anticipation. When the need to breathe became too much, they pulled back and Emily smiled.

"One thing that hasn't changed is how great of a kisser you are."

Derek waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, "Wanna see what else I'm still great at?"

"Oh bring it on!"

**{~CM~}**

Derek lay panting next to Emily, "Damn woman, you may be 52 years old, but you can still fuck like a 30 year old."

Emily laughed and hit him in the arm, "Well you still got it in you."

Derek leaned over and kissed her, "Ugh! We should get up in case Tarek comes."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Derek groaned as he threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to open the door. He was greeted by his son holding a suitcase in one hand and his sleeping daughter in the other arm. He chuckled softly and let his son walk in the door.

"Hey, man."

"Hey, Dad."

"You want me to take her?"

Tarek shook his head, "Nah, I'm just gonna lay her down."

"Well your room is all set up, sweetheart," Emily said coming out of the bedroom.

"Thanks, I'm gonna catch a nap. I'm completely wiped."

Derek and Emily nodded and watched Tarek take his daughter to his room. Emily frowned.

"Something's wrong."

"Emily, don't start."

"I'm serious, Derek. Something's wrong with Tarek and I bet you anything it has to do with Rona."

Derek led his wife to the bedroom, "Emily, don't even start on that."

"Derek, I'm serious, something is seriously wrong with that woman."

"I don't want to hear it, Em," Derek said as they lay down on the bed.

Half an hour later, they were awakened by the pitter-patter of running feet and the sound of the door being opened.

"Granpa! Granma!" Rebecca giggled running to the bed.

Derek sat up and picked her up, "Hey, Becky. Did you have a nice nap?"

Rebecca nodded, "Granpa, you makes chicken fried?"

Derek shrugged, "Maybe. You want some?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Rebecca, did you wake your grandparents?" Tarek said standing in the doorway.

Rebecca shook her head, "No, papa. Promise."

Derek chuckled and climbed out of bed, "Hey, Becky wanna help me? I gotta go to the store to get things for dinner and then maybe you can help me cook?"

"Yay! Can I papa?"

Tarek chuckled, "Yes, sweetheart."

**{~CM~}**

Later that night after a dinner of Lasagna, corn and salad Tarek took his daughter and retired to bed. Emily and Derek stayed up to clean up and watch some television. Derek leaned back on the couch with a beer in his hands and Emily curled into his side as they watched some drama movie that was playing on Lifetime.

"I don't understand, as many beers you drink a day, how is it that you haven't developed a beer gut?" Emily said running her hands down her husband's chest.

"It's called working out. You think I'd stop working out just cause I got older and stopped working at the BAU? No way, that's the perfect time to continue working out."

Emily smiled and then sighed as she sipped her own beer, "I talked to Tarek when you and Becky were at the store."

Derek raised an eyebrow. He really didn't want to hear what his wife was going to say. Emily put her beer down and looked at her husband.

"He told me that Rona called him while he was on the road and asked for a divorce. I knew that two-bit skank wasn't any good for him."

"Emily, enough, already. You don't know the reason behind her asking for a divorce."

"Yeah, but Derek, come on, family is everything. She should know better. Instead of asking for a divorce, she should be trying to fix whatever problems they have. Becky needs both her parents."

Derek sighed and put his beer on the table, "Em, give it a rest okay? Let's go to bed."

Emily was slightly miffed that her husband dismissed her but she figured he must have been getting tired of hearing her complain about Rona even if she was right. She got up and followed her husband to bed.

**{~CM~}**

The next morning Derek, Tarek, and Rebecca cooked breakfast for Emily. Derek placed everything on a tray along with their gifts and they all took it into the room.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise," Emily chuckled.

Rebecca climbed on the bed and gave her grandmother a kiss, "Have you present."

Derek chuckled, "Let grandma eat her breakfast first and then she'll open presents."

Derek placed the tray on his wife's lap and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Happy birthday, baby."

"Happy birthday, mama."

"Thank you so much," Emily said as she dug into her meal.

Tarek sat in the chair across from the bed and smiled at his mother. He had never seen her as happier as she was on her birthday. He wasn't sure why but he noticed that she was. He figured that maybe she missed the work she did at the BAU. Tarek shook his head watching his dad. His Dad wanted him to follow in their footsteps and join the BAU but Tarek had wanted to be a lawyer like his uncle Aaron used to be.

Emily finished her breakfast and Derek removed the tray as he handed her three presents. Emily opened Rebecca's first and saw it was a pink Tinkerbelle watch. Emily laughed and kissed her granddaughter. Then she opened her son's gift, which was two tickets to see her favorite band playing in concert in Boston next month. She squealed like a little girl and hugged her son tight kissing his face like she knew he hated ever since he was a teenager. Lastly, she opened Derek's gift. Inside the box was a beautiful gold necklace that had her name on it. She kissed her husband deeply on the mouth until her son cleared his throat.

"Thank you all so much for these wonderful gifts," she said as the doorbell rang.

Derek and Rebecca raced to the door and they opened it to find the team there ladled with cake and presents.

"Hi!" Rebecca smiled.

"Hi, Rebecca," They said entering the house.

Derek had them put the presents on the table in the living room and the cake on the table in the kitchen. Derek kissed Garcia's cheek.

"Thanks, baby girl. I had forgotten the cake."

Garcia chuckled, "Of course you did. What would you have done without me?"

Rebecca went to Spencer's grandson Morgan and asked him to play. Soon Tarek and Emily exited the bedroom and everyone gave her birthday hugs and birthday kisses. Emily thanked everyone and looked around at the kids.

"Where's AJ?"

"Spending time with his dad for once," JJ answered.

The team sat down and watched the children play. Emily was excited to have both her families here to celebrate her birthday. She just wished her mother could've been here. Derek cut the cake as Emily opened presents. She got an IPod uploaded with some of her favorite music from JJ.

"For those times when you get tired of hearing Derek's music," She teased.

Garcia brought her a wig as a joke that she's going to start losing her hair soon and brought her some pretty barrettes. In addition, Spencer brought her a couple of her favorite books that she hadn't read in a long time.

"Thank you so much for everything you all. You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

They all smiled while Derek passed out the cake. Emily sat next to her husband as she talked and laughed about the old times with the team. She never expected that they'd still be together this long. Nor did she expect Aaron and JJ to get married, although she never expected her and Derek to get married, have a son, and have a granddaughter.

"Hey did you know that Strauss's son is now in charge of the BAU?" Aaron asked.

"Really?" Derek replied raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, I went by there the other day because they wanted me to talk to some recruits. Man he's just as bad as Strauss was."

Emily chuckled sadly, as she looked around at her friends. The only one not there was David. He was killed in the line of duty a few years back. That's what prompted them all to quit. But as she laughed and smiled with her families, she nodded. She had been right about one thing, family is everything, and she was glad that she had both of hers.

**END.**


End file.
